Orchard Fields Community School

ORCHARD FIELDS COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th November - 1 st December 2004

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ORCHARD FIELDS COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ORCHARD FIELDS COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Orchard Fields Community School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 332 (including Nursery children)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Prescott Close Banbury Oxon Postcode: OX16 0RD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01295) 263 324 Fax number: (01295) 263 324

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr G Scales

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: The school has not been previously inspected.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are 332 pupils on roll, aged between three and eleven years and they are taught in 12 classes. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average, and the percentage identified as having special educational needs is well above the national average. Most pupils with special educational needs have general learning difficulties. Seven pupils have statements of special educational need. There are 15 pupils who speak English as an additional language and are at an early stage of English language acquisition. The school serves an area of high social deprivation, and the ward in which the school is situated is the most disadvantaged in Oxfordshire. Children’s overall standards are generally very poor on entry to the Nursery class.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Separate infant and junior schools occupied the site of the present school from 1950 until 2002. The junior school was closed in 2002 after being judged by Ofsted to be failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. The age range of pupils catered for by the infant school was extended to include junior pupils, and the newly-formed Orchard Fields Community School was established in October 2002. Orchard Fields Community School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 2414 David Westall Lead inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Music 1333 Elizabeth Forster Lay inspector 3856 Sandy Wellsted Team inspector English History PSHE Physical education 2420 Brian McCutcheon Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography 19302 Chris Perrett Team inspector The Foundation Stage Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Tribal PPI 1 – 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Orchard Fields Community School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a satisfactory school , which is improving. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory for pupils in the Nursery and Reception classes and in Years 1 and 2. However, good teaching in Years 3 to 6 is enabling pupils to progress well and is beginning to raise pupils’ standards. The school is well led and managed, and is a caring community where everyone matters. It provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The leadership and management of the school are good. • The quality of teaching is good for all pupils in Years 3 to 6, including those with special educational needs. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good, and the school provides well for their personal development. • Pupils achieve well in religious education in Years 1 to 6, and in history in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils underachieve in information and communication technology (ICT) in Years 1 and 2, and in art and design and design and technology in Years 1 to 6. • The most capable pupils mark time in some lessons. • There is not enough good teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. • Pupils make insufficient use of ICT to support their work in other subjects in Years 1 to 6. • Pupils’ learning is enriched by a good range of extra-curricular opportunities, visits and visitors. • A high priority is given to pupils’ welfare.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Good links are established with parents but pupils’ attendance rate is too low.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Their overall standards are well below national expectations in Years 2 and 6 but reflect the very high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in these year groups and the very low starting points of pupils on entry to the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Comparisons with the results of similar schools, shown in the table below, need to be treated very cautiously, since the Year 6 pupils spent Years 3 and 4 in a school which closed in 2002 because it was providing pupils with an unsatisfactory standard of education. This disruption in their education is likely to have restricted their progress before they joined Orchard Fields Community School.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English N/A E E D mathematics N/A E* E* E science N/A E E D Orchard Fields Community School - 5 Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average; E* - in the lowest 5% nationally. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards in Year 2 are currently well below national expectations in reading, writing, mathematics and science. When account is taken of the very poor standards of most children on entry to the school, and the fact that over 50% of the children in the Year 2 classes have special educational needs, these standards represent satisfactory achievement. The school’s statutory test results in Year 2 in 2004 were also well below the national average but were nevertheless in line with the average results of similar schools. Pupils’ standards in Year 6 are well below national expectations in English, mathematics and science but represent satisfactory achievement. About three-quarters of the pupils in the Year 6 classes have special educational needs. In addition, these pupils spent Year 3 in an unsatisfactory school. Now that good teaching is securely established across Years 3 to 6, standards are starting to rise in these key subjects.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In ICT, pupils have too few opportunities to use computers in Years 1 and 2, and their standards are well below national expectations in Year 2. In Year 6, standards in ICT are below national expectations but reflect satisfactory achievement, given pupils’ very limited skills on entry to the school in Year 4. Pupils achieve well in religious education in Years 1 to 6, and in history in Years 3 to 6. However, the difficulties that a significant minority have in discussing and recording their ideas means that standards are below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education in Years 2 and 6, and are below national expectations in history in Year 6. Pupils underachieve in art and design and design and technology in Years 1 to 6, and their standards are too low in Years 2 and 6 because teachers’ expectations are not high enough. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

and Years 1 and 2, and good progress in Years 3 to 6 where the teaching is generally more effective. The most capable pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6. However, they mark time in some lessons in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 because their work is too easy. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. The school makes good provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development and sound provision for their spiritual development. There are positive relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils. Pupils enjoy school. However, the attendance rate is well below the national average and this is unsatisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. The quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching has improved in the current educational year, and is good. As a result, pupils in Years 3 to 6 are making mainly good progress in their learning. The quality of teaching and learning now needs to improve in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 to match the quality provided for the older pupils. The curriculum meets statutory requirements but pupils have insufficient opportunities to develop their skills in ICT in Years 1 and 2, and ICT is not used enough to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of additional learning opportunities. The care of pupils is very good and they are well supported. The school has good links with parents. Orchard Fields Community School - 6

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction and analyses the school’s performance rigorously. The leadership and management contribution from other key staff is good. School governance is satisfactory, and improving. Statutory requirements are fully met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have positive views about the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve pupils’ achievement in ICT in Years 1 and 2 and in art and design and design and technology in Years 1 to 6. • Ensure that the most capable pupils do as well as they should in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. • Improve the satisfactory teaching in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2, to match the good teaching provided for older pupils. • Improve pupils’ attendance rate. • Ensure that pupils in Years 1 to 6 make more use of ICT across the curriculum.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory . Their overall standards are well below national expectations in Years 2 and 6 but reflect the very high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in these year groups and the very low starting points of most pupils on entry to the school.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Pupils’ achievement is improving in Years 3 to 6 as a result of good teaching. • Pupils with special educational needs are making good progress in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils achieve well in religious education and in their personal, social and health education in Years 1 to 6, and in history in Years 3 to 6. • In the Nursery and Reception classes, children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. • Pupils underachieve in information and communication technology (ICT) in Years 1 and 2, and art and design and design and technology in Years 1 to 6. • The most capable pupils sometimes mark time in the Foundation Stage, and in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 and 2 because their work is too easy.

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Commentary

Standards on entry to the school 1. On entry to the Nursery class, children’s overall standards are very poor. Orchard Fields Community School - 7 The school’s results in national tests

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Standards in: School results National results reading 13.8 (12.3) 15.8 (15.7) writing 12.5 (11.4) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 14.8 (13.8) 16.2 (16.3) There were 37 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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2. The table above shows that the results of the national tests in Year 2 in 2004 were well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. These results were in line with the results of similar schools in these subjects, and were an improvement on those reached in 2003.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Standards in: School results National results English 24.2 (24.2) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 22.8 (23.3) 27.0 (26.8) science 25.8 (26.6) 28.6 (28.6) There were 40 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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3. The table above shows that the results of the national tests in Year 6 in 2004 were well below the national average in English and science, and were very low in relation to the national average in mathematics. When these results were compared with the results of schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2, they were below average in English and science and well below average in mathematics. However, comparisons with the results of similar schools need to be interpreted very cautiously since the Year 6 pupils did not join the school until they were in Year 5, and had spent Years 3 and 4 in a school which was judged to be failing to provide them with a satisfactory standard of education. This disruption in their education is likely to have restricted their progress before they started at Orchard Fields School. The school met its target of 60% of pupils reaching or exceeding the expected standard in Year 6 in

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2004 in English but narrowly missed its target of 50% in mathematics.

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The Foundation Stage (The Nursery and the Reception classes) 4. Children’s achievement is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and results from satisfactory teaching. They make satisfactory progress in the development of their communication, language and literacy skills and in their mathematical, physical and creative development. In their personal, social and emotional development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world, they make good progress. However, children’s very low starting points on entry to the Nursery mean that their overall standards remain well below those expected for their ages at the end of the Reception year. Orchard Fields Community School - 8 Years 1 and 2 5. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in these year groups and results from satisfactory teaching. Pupils’ standards in Year 2 are well below national expectations in reading, writing, mathematics and science. However, the vast majority of pupils are

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making satisfactory progress from very low starting points on entry to Year 1 in these key subjects, and overall standards are severely constrained by the fact that over half of the pupils in the current Year 2 classes have special educational needs relating to learning difficulties. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 in religious education, although the weak language and literacy skills of many pupils, and the difficulties that they often have in describing their feelings and explaining their ideas, mean that their overall standards are below those expected by the locally agreed syllabus in Year 2. Good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables pupils to do well in this important element of their development. However, in ICT, pupils underachieve, and their standards are well below national expectations because they have insufficient opportunities to learn and practise their skills in the subject. In

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addition, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in art and design and design and technology, due to teachers’ low expectations of their potential achievement. As a result, pupils’ standards in these subjects are below national expectations in Year 2. Insufficient evidence was available for judgements to be made about pupils’ standards and achievements in other subjects in Years 1 and 2.

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Years 3 to 6 6. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in these year groups. Pupils’ standards in Year 6 are well below national expectations in English, mathematics and science. They represent satisfactory achievement, given that about three-quarters of the pupils in the Year 6 classes have special educational needs. Indeed, pupils in Year 6 are currently making good progress in English, mathematics and science, as a result of effective teaching. However, school records show that these pupils have made satisfactory, rather than good, progress when in Years 4 and 5. In addition, they spent Year 3 in a school which was judged to be failing to provide them with a satisfactory standard of education. These factors have restricted the current standards in Year 6. The good progress pupils are now making across Years 3 to 6 in English, mathematics and science means that pupils’ achievement is improving in these year

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7. In ICT, standards in Year 6 are below national expectations but represent satisfactory achievement, given pupils’ very limited skills when they started at the school in Year 4. In history, standards in Year 6 are below national expectations and in religious education they are below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Nevertheless, pupils achieve well in these subjects, given their low starting points on entry to the school. In PSHE, pupils also do well. However, in common with the situation in Years 1 and 2, pupils in Year 3 to 6 underachieve in art and design and design and technology, and their standards are below national expectations in these subjects. Insufficient evidence was available for overall judgements to be made about pupils’ standards in other subjects in Years 3 to 6. However, pupils sing well, and the performance of the choir is very good.

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The achievement of different groups Orchard Fields Community School - 9 8. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. However, they make good progress in Years 3 to 6, where the teaching is generally more effective. The most capable pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6 but sometimes mark time in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 when they are given tasks which are too easy. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are doing as well as their peers, and pupils who are at the early stage of English language acquisition are making sound progress, across the school. No significant differences between the standards achieved by boys and girls were evident during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities are good . With rare exceptions, pupils like school, form good relationships and behave well. Good provision is made for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development, and provision for their spiritual development is sound. However, the attendance rate is too low.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy school. They trust their teachers and work hard to please them. • The pupils form good relationships with their peers and with all the adults who work with them. • The vast majority of the pupils behave well at all times. • Good provision is made for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. • The attendance rate is well below average.

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Attitudes and behaviour 9. The vast majority of pupils enjoy school. They comment favourably on their lessons, although they also enjoy the wide variety of clubs, visits and other enrichment activities the school makes available for them. Few pupils relish academic learning for its own sake, and some lack confidence in their own abilities. Nevertheless, they trust their teachers and know that the staff do everything they can to help them learn. They value the help they are given and, in their turn, they work hard to please their teachers and the other adults who work with them. When they receive awards, for effort, achievement or good behaviour, they take pride in their accomplishments – and their applause reveals their warm appreciation of others’ successes. During lessons, the pupils work well together, for example when asked to discuss work in pairs or small groups. When they feel able, they help those who seem to be having a

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struggle with their work, and they have a realistic grasp of the notion that some people are bound to be better at certain things than others.

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10. Almost all the pupils form good relationships with staff and with their peers. They are friendly, helpful and co-operative, and they work and play together without friction of any kind. Most pupils with special educational needs related to social development and behaviour work hard to overcome their difficulties and to conform to the school’s expectations of them in regard to behaviour. A few pupils, mostly boys, generally manage their behaviour well during lessons but sometimes behave inappropriately towards others during playtimes and at lunchtime. An inescapable consequence of Orchard Fields Community School - 10 this is that a few pupils believe they are bullied, a view which was supported by a small minority of the parents. The school works hard to eradicate inappropriate behaviour, and the reports of such incidents have declined substantially in recent times. There were 11 fixed term exclusions in the last academic year, involving five

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pupils. There have been no exclusions in the current academic year.

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Attendance 11. Levels of attendance are well below the national average. Although absence through illness is higher than in most schools, there is also a significant amount of absence because holidays are taken in term time. The school’s initiatives to highlight the importance of regular attendance have yet to impact fully on reducing this, but they have resulted in a marked improvement in the rate of unauthorised absence, which is now broadly in line with the national median. The majority of pupils arrive in good time for school and lessons start promptly.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.7 School data 0.2 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Categories used in the Annual School Census No. of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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White – British 244 11 0 White – any other White background 5 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 39 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 12. The school makes good provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development, and sound provision for their spiritual development.

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13. The good relationships between staff and pupils create a climate of trust that underpins the school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Spiritual development is soundly promoted through assembly themes which focus on Orchard Fields Community School - 11 values such as freedom and which offer pupils suitable opportunities to pray, to reflect on their experiences, and to consider the values they wish to uphold. The school has well-established links with St Paul’s Church, and assemblies are led regularly by an outreach worker from the parish. In religious education lessons, through talks given by religious leaders from different faith groups and through visits to places of worship, pupils explore the major world religions and are encouraged to respect different beliefs. However, provision for spiritual development is not yet planned within the wider curriculum, and this restricts its impact.

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14. Strong moral and social themes are promoted in assemblies. In addition, school and class rules, reward strategies, discussions in personal, social and health education and initiatives designed to develop citizenship all serve to develop pupils’ understanding of right and wrong and of moral issues. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour by identifying their own feelings and by recognising the impact of their behaviour on others. When incidents of inappropriate behaviour or bullying occur, the consequences are explained clearly to pupils and, if necessary, are followed through into action. Nurture clubs are run by strongly committed teaching assistants at lunchtime to help some pupils develop social and co-operative skills, and pupils have been taught to use strategies to manage their own behaviour. These measures have led to a sharp reduction in the incidences of inappropriate behaviour, and this is

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15. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility from a very young age. For example, the ‘special person’ in each class learns to ‘lead’ his or her peers and to carry out routine duties responsibly within their class. Pupils from each year group serve as class councillors and as school councillors, working on behalf of their peers and taking some responsibility for shaping the direction of the school. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to work responsibly with younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 by reading with them and by introducing them to mathematics games. By raising funds for various national and local charities, pupils learn to reach out to those less fortunate than themselves, whilst projects such as ‘Planting in the Park’ and recycling waste materials successfully raise their awareness of the need to care for the environment.

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16. Good provision is made for pupils’ cultural development. All pupils visit places of interest linked to their studies. Visits to museums, theatres, concerts and art exhibitions are regular features in the school calendar, and the school choir recently performed at Wembley and in the Royal Albert Hall. All these events enrich the pupils’ lives. Pantomime visits, occasional outings to the cinema, special events such as a ‘Poetry Day’, puppet shows and dance workshops also benefit pupils’ cultural development. Lunchtime and after-school clubs are a strong feature of the school’s provision and are well attended.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its pupils. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, and are good in Years 3 to 6. The curriculum is satisfactory, meets statutory requirements and is enriched by a good range of additional learning opportunities for the pupils. The care of pupils is Orchard Fields Community School - 12 very good and pupils are well supported. The school has established strong links with parents.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching is good in Years 3 to 6, including in English, mathematics and science. As a result, pupils are now making good progress in these key subjects. • Good teaching also enables pupils to progress well in their personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world in the Foundation Stage, and in history in Years 3 to 6 and religious education in Years 1 to 6. • There is not enough good teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. • Assessment procedures are good, overall. • Teachers’ expectations are too low in art and design and design and technology and this contributes to pupils’ underachievement in these subjects. • The most capable pupils are sometimes given work which is too easy in the Foundation Stage and in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 and 2. Orchard Fields Community School - 13

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

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Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 0 (0%) 4 (9%) 25 (54%) 16 (35%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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17. The table above shows that the quality of teaching was good, and occasionally very good, in six out of every ten lessons observed – and unsatisfactory teaching was very rare. However, the vast majority of good teaching was seen in Years 3 to 6, and all of the very good lessons were observed in Year 6. In the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching was very similar, being mainly satisfactory, and only good in three out of every ten lessons. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching is consistently better, with nine of out every ten lessons demonstrating good or better teaching.

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18. Evidence from school records shows that there have previously been weaknesses in the teaching of some lessons in Years 4 and 5, which have slowed pupils’ learning. These weaknesses were rectified by the beginning of the Autumn Term 2004, and now the teaching is good in these year groups.

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19. In the Nursery and Reception classes, the teaching is satisfactory and enables pupils to make a sound start at the school. The teachers have established very positive relationships with the children and help them to feel secure and to develop independence. They promote children’s personal development well and are particularly effective when developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world through well-chosen practical activities. As a result, children progress well in their personal, social and emotional development, and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. In all other areas of learning, satisfactory teaching enables pupils to make sound progress in the Foundation Stage. However, there are occasions when teachers miss opportunities to foster aspects of children’s creative development and to harness the potential of the most capable children.

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20. In Years 1 and 2, the teaching is satisfactory in English, mathematics and science and enables most pupils to make sound progress in these key subjects. However, the most capable pupils sometimes mark time in English, mathematics and science because they are given work which is too easy. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching is good in English, mathematics and science. This means that pupils are making good progress and, over time, this will have a beneficial impact on their standards and achievements.

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21. In ICT, the teaching is mainly satisfactory across the school, but is sometimes good in Years 3 to 6. However, evidence from pupils’ completed work shows that they are making satisfactory progress in their learning in the subject in Years 3 to 6 but unsatisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2. Whilst pupils’ slow progress in Years 1 and 2 stems mainly from the lack of opportunities they have to use computers, it is also clear that some teachers would benefit from further training to increase their confidence and skills in the subject. Orchard Fields Community School - 14 22. In religious education, the teaching is mainly good across the school, which means that pupils progress well. However, the only unsatisfactory lesson observed during the inspection was in religious education, when Year 2 pupils were given a dull and inappropriate task and made little progress in their learning. In history, it is not

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possible to judge the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 but they are good in Years 3 to 6. Insufficient lessons were seen to judge the quality of teaching in other subjects. However, a careful examination of pupils’ completed work in art and design and design and technology clearly shows that the teaching is not enabling pupils to do as well as they should in Years 1 to 6. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ potential achievement are too low in these subjects and they require in-service training to increase their knowledge. 23. Across the school, teaching is characterised by good relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils like and respect their teachers and it is clear that these feelings are reciprocated. All teachers have appropriately high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and pupils respond well by demonstrating positive attitudes and concentrating on their tasks. Teachers’ planning is generally thorough and well-focused, and shows

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that they know exactly what they expect pupils to learn. Good teaching is evident in lessons when teachers show a very secure knowledge of the subjects they teach and capture and maintain pupils’ interest through lively introductions and clear explanations. Good use is made of time in these lessons, and teachers know just when to intervene with well-judged comments or questions to ensure that pupils are both challenged and supported. In the very best lessons, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ potential achievement are high, and pupils are working at the height of their current capabilities.

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24. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good in Years 3 to 6 and is otherwise satisfactory, reflecting the general pattern in relation to the quality of teaching across the school. The school is generously staffed with well-trained teaching assistants who provide valuable support for these pupils. Just occasionally, teaching assistants allow the pupils to become too dependent on their support, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Some pupils with particularly low attainment in literacy and numeracy benefit from tuition in small groups, led by teaching assistants, where they have the chance to consolidate basic skills. Class teachers are aware of the needs of the range of pupils in their charge, and those in Years 3 to 6 are particularly skilful at involving pupils with special educational needs in discussions, carefully encouraging them and giving them time to answer questions. Pupils who are at the

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early stage of learning English as an additional language are given sound support across the school.

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25. Although very little unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection, areas for improvement were evident in some lessons which were satisfactory, overall, in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. Teachers’ questions often need to be more focused to probe pupils’ understanding and to develop their thinking, and the most capable pupils sometimes mark time because their work is too easy. In Years 1 and 2, the pace of learning is rather slow in some lessons, and pupils persevere with tasks rather than working with any sense of urgency. In these lessons, there is sometimes too much teacher talk and too little pupil activity. Orchard Fields Community School - 15 Assessing pupils’ progress 26. Arrangements for assessment are good, overall. Effective procedures have been developed to enable the school to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils' achievement, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. In

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addition, children’s progress is carefully tracked in the Nursery and Reception classes. A clear and appropriate annual assessment cycle has been established and teachers find the systems manageable. They have a good understanding of the purposes and usefulness of the process and, as a consequence, assessment procedures are implemented consistently across the school. Teachers use the information they gather to group pupils within their classes and to identify those who need extra support to help them catch up. In general, they plan carefully for groups and individuals and are clear about what they have to do to improve. However, the needs of the most capable pupils are not always identified and met in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. In most lessons, teachers share the learning objectives with pupils as sessions commence and, when summarising at the end of the lesson, provide opportunities for

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them to evaluate their own learning. This good practice helps to develop pupils’ awareness of their achievements and future learning needs.

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Commentary

27. Assessment procedures and the resulting data are used effectively to identify pupils with special educational needs and to organise appropriate support. During regular meetings, the staff examine examples of pupils’ work in English, mathematics, science and ICT to decide how they match national curriculum requirements. This helps the teachers to make accurate and consistent judgements about pupils’ standards.

p.17

The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory . A good range of additional opportunities enriches pupils’ learning.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs receive very regular support from teaching assistants. • Visits and visitors, and a good range of extra-curricular activities, enrich pupils' learning. • ICT is not sufficiently used to support pupils’ work in other subjects in Years 1 to 6.

p.17

Commentary

28. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, and is effectively planned to cover all of the required areas of learning. There is an appropriate balance between child-initiated and teacher-led activities, with many opportunities for children to learn through practical experiences. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is satisfactory and is securely based on the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. It provides pupils with a range of worthwhile learning experiences, meets all statutory requirements and includes an appropriate programme to deal with sex education and drugs awareness. Orchard Fields Community School - 16 29. There is an appropriately strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy and the national strategies are used well as the basis for planning in English and mathematics. The promotion of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum is satisfactory.

p.17

Commentary

However, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have insufficient opportunities to develop and practise their ICT skills and too little use is made of ICT to support pupils’ learning in other subjects in Years 1 to 6. In addition, pupils’ key skills are not progressively developed in art and design and design and technology in Years 3 to 6. Good provision is made for pupils' personal, social and health education.

p.18

Commentary

30. The principles of inclusion are fully upheld and all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and they are helped to gain access to the same curriculum as their peers through very regular support from the school’s large team of teaching assistants. Pupils learning English as an additional language also fully participate in all the experiences the school provides.

p.18

Commentary

31. The school provides a good range of additional activities, which enrich pupils' learning. These currently include basketball, playground games, indoor board games, hockey, skipping, choir, design, construction, art, drama, writing, chess and mathematics and reading clubs. Visits include Warwick Castle, Horley village, Sulgrave Manor and Banbury Museum, while 'Mega Mechanics' for Years 1 and 2, a puppet show and the visit of Life Education Centre staff have enlivened school-based learning. Themed events such as an art week, 'Healthy Eating Day', 'National Poetry Day' and a 'number day' make a good contribution to pupils' personal development as well as their learning.

p.18

Commentary

32. The level of staffing is good and all staff are sensibly deployed. Overall, teachers have the necessary experience and skills to cover the National Curriculum, and those in Years 3 to 6 have good subject knowledge in the key subjects of English, mathematics and science. However, some teachers need to increase their knowledge in ICT, art and design and design and technology. Teachers are well supported by teaching assistants who are an integral part of the teaching team and make an important and valued contribution to pupils' learning.

p.18

Commentary

33. The accommodation is broadly adequate but has important weaknesses. The school does not have a library, the ICT suite serving Years 1 and 2 is too small to accommodate whole-class teaching, there is limited access to the ICT suite for pupils in Years 3 to 6, and playground space is cramped. Staff make the most of the space which is available and, throughout the school, attractive displays of pupils' work enhance the learning environment. Work on a new school building is planned to commence shortly. Learning resources are at least satisfactory in all subjects, and are well organised.

p.18

Care, guidance and support

The care, welfare, health and safety of the pupils are very good . Pupils receive good support, advice and guidance and the school has good arrangements for seeking pupils’ views.

p.18

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The school is a caring community where pupils’ welfare is a high priority. Orchard Fields Community School - 17 • Child protection arrangements are very thorough. • Procedures for the induction of pupils are good. • Health and safety procedures are rigorous.

p.18

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

34. All adults in the school have a strong belief in the importance of providing consistent, well-targeted and sensitive pastoral care for the pupils. The very good support that pupils receive enables them to develop trusting relationships with adults and to know that they are secure and valued. This has a very strongly beneficial effect on pupils’ self-esteem and their attitudes to school and learning. The strength of provision comes through its focus on the individual needs of each pupil and the sensitivity in which necessary support is provided. The school works very effectively in partnership with the staff of the family centre which is on-site, and parents are referred to the centre if they need advice about potential problems. In addition, the family centre makes before- and after-school care available when necessary. Some pupils are encouraged to participate in nurture groups with trained assistants during lunchtimes

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

at the school. This helps them to deal with their feelings and reflects the school’s caring approach.

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

35. Effective liaison with the home/school link worker ensures that pastoral problems at pupils’ homes are addressed, where possible, and support is given to ensure that medical or assessment appointments are kept. On occasions the school, in partnership with the family centre, initiate multi-agency meetings to ensure that the full circumstances and concerns about pupils are discussed and agreement is reached about the best actions to take. All adults are well briefed about child protection procedures and appropriate records are maintained about concerns. The headteacher and deputy make every effort to participate in case conferences and maintain close links with the local area committee.

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

36. Induction arrangements are good. Many pre-school children already attend the day care or toddler facilities at the family centre, and they have the opportunity to start in the school’s Nursery on a part-time basis. Parents are given a range of information about the school, and are given advice about how they can support their children’s learning at home.

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

37. The school council is valued by teachers and pupils alike. The regular meetings through the year generate an opportunity for pupils to make suggestions for improvements to school and provide a sounding board for possible school initiatives. The school council members played an important role in the survey of pupils’ and parents’ views of homework last year, and will soon be given the opportunity to comment on the plans for the proposed new school building.

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

38. The staff and governors make very regular health and safety checks of the buildings and grounds, and make sure that potential hazards are rectified. A good range of risk assessments is in place, and particular attention is paid to ensuring the safety of pupils on visits. Appropriate procedures are in place for the storage and Orchard Fields Community School - 18 administration of medicines, and records of minor accidents or incidents are detailed and comprehensive.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has established good links with parents and with the community. Its partnership with other schools is sound .

p.20

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Relationships with parents are good. • Community links provide good additional support for the school. • There are close and effective working relationships with the family centre. • Some parents do not ensure that their children’ attendance is sufficiently regular, or help their children enough with learning at home.

p.20

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

39. The headteacher and staff have worked very hard to establish good relationships with parents, building up their trust in the school, its management and the education provided. As a result, parents have positive views about the school and believe that it helps their children to do well. They find the staff easy to talk to and this encourages them to share their worries or concerns. The school provides a good range of information about the curriculum and school activities, and opportunities for parents to share events such as celebration assemblies are well attended. Parents have regular opportunities through the year to discuss their children’s progress with the teachers, although these consultation sessions are not always well attended. Some parents do not support their children’s learning by hearing them read, and do not ensure that their children attend school regularly. These factors have a negative effect

p.20

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

40. The school makes good use of local community facilities and expertise; pupils make a wide range of visits and a good number of visitors are invited in to share their expertise. This helps to enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ experiences. Business links have been established with a large local company which donates finance for projects, and the local Banbury charities also provide funds to benefit pupils’ learning. Pupils’ awareness of citizenship is promoted through talks from a local councillor and by charity fundraising activities. School achievements and celebrations are included through the local press, which helps to raise a positive profile of the school in the community.

p.20

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

41. Orchard Fields is part of the Drayton partnership, which promotes sound links between primary and secondary schools. Children in the Reception class have a regular weekly session with pupils from the nearby special school and this encourages beneficial social interaction for all involved. Older pupils have a sound range of opportunities to mix with others in sporting and musical activities. There are good arrangements for pupils to learn about their secondary school before transfer, involving several days to familiarise themselves with new routines and teachers. Orchard Fields Community School - 19 Additional support is given to any pupils who might find the transfer to secondary school particularly difficult.

p.20

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

42. The school works very effectively with the family centre on-site and this benefits both pupils and their parents. Very close liaison is maintained about how pupils with particular difficulties can best be supported, for example through offering them the chance to attend breakfast clubs or lunchtime nurture groups. Parents are encouraged to seek advice from the family centre if they have problems, for example with benefits or housing, and the toddler group and day care Nursery become the first stage in a seamless introduction to school for many pupils. The common vision of the headteacher and family centre head leads to successful joint applications for additional social funding from a variety of different agencies. Parents are offered the chance to improve their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills at classes run for them at the family centre.

p.21

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

43. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept fully informed and updated about their child’s progress and attainment from the time their needs are first identified. All are invited to attend reviews of their child’s progress. Most respond well and are appropriately involved in the setting of new targets in their child’s individual education plan. In some cases, the child concerned also attends reviews and is therefore also aware of their targets, thereby forging a powerful partnership for improvement. A small, but significant, number of parents do not attend such meetings. Through its open door policy, the school makes every effort to enable parents to make alternative arrangements to discuss their child’s progress, and copies of review reports and pupils’ targets, where necessary, are sent home by post. The school has very positive links with a local ‘beacon’ special school whose outreach staff

p.21

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

have provided valuable advice on several aspects of special needs work, including behaviour management. Links with the parents of pupils for whom English is an additional language are facilitated by a bilingual support teacher.

p.21

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction and is a major strength in the school. The leadership and management contribution from other key staff is good. School governance is satisfactory and improving.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has good leadership and management skills and provides a clear sense of direction. • The deputy headteacher, the members of the senior management team and the co- ordinators for the key subjects of English, mathematics and science are all fulfilling their roles well. • The leadership and management of art and design and design and technology require improvement.

p.21

Commentary

Orchard Fields Community School - 20 44. When the headteacher took up her post in this newly-created school in October 2002, there was much to be done. The most urgent priority was to improve the behaviour of pupils in Years 3 to 6, who had previously attended a school that was failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education. In addition, whole-school approaches to teaching and learning, and a clear sense of direction, needed to be established in the new school. The headteacher responded well to the challenges she faced, and has worked tremendously hard to secure improvement. She has successfully fostered key debates about school policies and practices with staff and governors, and has informed and guided these discussions with her astute judgements about the school’s emerging strengths and areas for development. As a result, the staff and governors now share a common vision for the school. Agreed whole-school approaches have

p.22

Commentary

helped to ensure that the teaching is satisfactory, or better, and that pupils’ behaviour is mainly good.

p.22

Commentary

45. The headteacher analyses the results of statutory and non-statutory testing rigorously and ensures that staff are aware of areas for improvement as well as good achievement. She checks teachers’ planning carefully and has successfully fostered improvements so that all teachers now clearly identify what they expect pupils to learn. The headteacher also regularly examines examples of pupils’ completed work and observes lessons. These strategies help her to keep her finger firmly on the pulse of the school, and inform her pertinent feedback to staff which has a positive effect on their professional development and pupils’ learning. For example, she identified some weaknesses in the teaching and learning in Years 4 and 5 in the last academic year, and has ensured that these have been rectified. The headteacher fosters teamwork effectively and provides a positive role model through her tenacious work

p.22

Commentary

to secure school improvement. She is firmly committed to running an equitable and inclusive school where each individual matters, and this is evident in the care which is taken to support pupils and staff. As a result, staff morale is good. The headteacher is rightly held in high regard by staff governors and parents.

p.22

Commentary

46. The headteacher has worked effectively with staff and governors to create an improvement plan which reflects and promotes the school’s ambitions and goals. The plan is well organised and includes detailed information to support the implementation of individual initiatives. The priorities identified are well judged, with a strong focus on raising standards in English, mathematics and science, and staff know how they can contribute towards the planned improvements.

p.22

Commentary

47. The partnership between the headteacher and the deputy headteacher is strong, and they work together well on strategic planning as well as the day-to-day running of the school. The deputy headteacher also manages provision for pupils with special educational needs effectively. The senior management team meets regularly and ensures that agreed procedures are understood and implemented across the school. The co-ordinators for the key subjects of English, mathematics and science monitor and evaluate provision in their subjects thoroughly, including through analysis of test results, teachers’ planning, examples of pupils’ work and lesson observations. As a result, they have a clear view of what needs to be done to raise pupils’ standards further and provide well-focused leadership for their colleagues. However, in art and design and design and technology, monitoring and evaluation procedures are Orchard Fields Community School - 21

p.22

Commentary

insufficiently rigorous and important areas for improvement in pupils’ standards are not identified.

p.23

Commentary

48. The school’s policy for performance management is being implemented effectively. Teachers’ targets properly reflect both whole-school priorities and individual needs, and all staff have ample opportunities to benefit from training courses. Provision for the induction of staff, including for newly-qualified teaches, is good and reflects the caring ethos of the school.

p.23

Commentary

49. Financial planning is satisfactory. The school improvement plan is properly costed, the annual budget is debated carefully at governors’ meetings and the principles of best value are soundly applied. The expenditure per pupil is higher than in most schools, due to the very significant percentage of pupils with special educational needs and to spending which has been made possible by additional funding provided to set the school up when it opened in 2002. Although the school’s carry-forward into the current financial year is high, this is justified by the governors’ awareness of the likely costs associated with the new school building which is planned. Overall, the school makes sound use of its resources and provides satisfactory value for money.

p.23

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.23

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,045,087 Balance from previous year 101,385 Total expenditure 1,078,451 Balance carried forward to the next year 68,021

p.23

Commentary

Governance 50. The governance of the school is satisfactory, and is developing well. An appropriate range of committees is established and all provide sound support for the leadership and management of the school. The chair of governors visits very frequently and has a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses as a result of his regular discussions with the headteacher. The governors with responsibility for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs are all taking a keen interest in the school’s work, including by visiting lessons and talking to co-ordinators. Governors’ awareness of the results of statutory testing is satisfactory and improving as a result of well- informed guidance provided by the headteacher and the literacy governor. The core team of governors are highly committed and help to guide the school’s work through their contributions to strategic planning. Governors have recently developed the

p.23

Commentary

confidence to begin to ask challenging questions to hold the school to account. Statutory requirements are fully met. Orchard Fields Community School - 22

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory .

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The children enter the Nursery after their third birthday, and transfer to a Reception class in the term before they are five. There is a well-planned programme of meetings and visits, so that starting school is smooth and trouble-free. Children enter Nursery with very poor attainment, including in relation to their language and mathematical skills, and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children make satisfactory overall progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, as a result of teaching that is mainly satisfactory but sometimes good. However, their very low starting points on entry to the Nursery mean that most pupils are not on course to reach the nationally-expected learning goals at the end of the Reception year, except in relation to their personal, social and emotional development and their physical development.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There is a good ratio of adults to children, which helps to ensure that all pupils’ needs are met. All staff work very hard as a cohesive team, monitoring children’s progress, so that they have a very clear picture of each child’s needs. The non-teaching staff are well trained, and make very valuable contributions to children’s learning. The classrooms are large, with plenty of space to accommodate the many different activities on offer. However, the rooms are shabby and tired-looking. Both classes have their own secure outside areas which are well used to support children’s learning. The outside area for the Nursery provides a particularly stimulating learning environment, with opportunities for children to ride wheeled toys, climb and dig. The teachers welcome parents into the classroom, and there is a good relationship between home and school.

p.24

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the high expectations set by staff and continuous reinforcement of rules. • Every opportunity is taken to enhance children’s development through all the areas of learning. • The very caring atmosphere and supportive relationships ensure that children feel confident and happy.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

51. This aspect of children’s development is taught well, and has a positive effect on all areas of their learning. Many children enter the Nursery with underdeveloped personal and social skills, and some children still find it hard to consider the needs of others. However, the clear boundaries and the consistent role models set by the adults ensure that the children know what is expected of them, so that they learn the correct Orchard Fields Community School - 23 way to behave. Children know the routines well and settle to tasks with a minimum of fuss. Children are encouraged to be independent from the start, by choosing their own activities, and are expected to clear up after themselves, which most do without much prompting. They move quietly and sensibly around the Nursery as they choose their activities, and help each other with tasks such as putting on their aprons. Children show interest in what they are doing, and are continually encouraged to feel

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

52. In the Reception class, children are encouraged to share, take turns amicably, and most have learned to put up their hands when answering a question. When children do not conform, they are dealt with firmly but fairly, so that they learn how to appreciate the needs of others within the group. The very supportive relationships ensure children feel secure, and confident to seek help when required. Children achieve well in this area of learning as a result of the continual reinforcement of rules by the adults, who treat each other and the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to trusting relationships, and helps the children succeed. The majority of children are broadly on course to meet the expected standards in this aspect of their development by the end of the Reception year.

p.25

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A strong emphasis is given to the development of children’s speaking and listening skills. • There are too few opportunities for the most able children to choose what they write about. • Handwriting skills are not always taught properly.

p.25

Commentary

53. Children enter Nursery with very poorly-developed communication skills, but make sound progress as a result of satisfactory teaching. Throughout the Foundation Stage, a strong emphasis is placed on speaking and listening, and both teachers insist on children’s attention when they are speaking. Overall, children’s achievement in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory across the Foundation Stage. Most children develop the confidence to respond to questions during class discussions but their vocabulary is often very limited, including in the Reception class. From an early age, children are encouraged to take books home, but not all parents spend time sharing these with their children. Children enjoy having stories read to them but often demonstrate limited listening skills. A few more able children in the Reception can read very simple texts, and some others are beginning to identify the

p.25

Commentary

sounds letters make. Children in the Reception respond well to the formal teaching of letter sounds, but do not readily transfer the learning from these sessions into their reading and writing.

p.25

Commentary

54. Children in the Nursery are encouraged to make marks on paper, paving the way for future writing. In the Reception class, about half of the children can write their names, and are beginning to form their letters correctly. However, adults do not always insist on correct letter Orchard Fields Community School - 24 formation, so some children are learning bad habits. Writing sessions are often very structured and children, including the most capable, have few opportunities to choose what they write about. Few children are on course to meet the nationally-expected standards in communication, language and literacy by the end of the Reception year.

p.25

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision for mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.26

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children are able to learn through well-chosen practical activities.

p.26

Commentary

55. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The teachers plan a range of interesting activities to promote mathematical understanding. Children in the Nursery are beginning to develop an understanding of numbers to ten, as they sing counting rhymes. Activities are appropriately practical, so that children learn through direct experience. For example, in the Nursery, children count themselves, count candles on the cake and use blocks to build towers of a certain number. In Reception, they order numbers to ten and are beginning to consider ‘one more than’, although most children find this very hard. Most Reception children can identify simple two- dimensional shapes, but the vast majority find calculations very difficult, and are not at the stage of recording. Children’s achievement is satisfactory, given their very low starting points on entry to the Nursery. However, few are on course to meet the expected standards by the end of the Reception year.

p.26

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.26

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• A good range of opportunities and effective teaching mean that pupils achieve well. • Good use is made of visits to the ‘Forest School’ to enhance environmental studies.

p.26

COMMENTARY

56. Good teaching means that children’s knowledge and understanding of the world develop well, from a very low base. Children enter Nursery with very limited experiences and very poor general knowledge. The teacher grasps every opportunity to extend children’s understanding of their world and uses probing questions well to stimulate their learning. Children learn through direct experience, for example, that ice is cold and melts into water. They develop their ‘mouse’ skills through frequent use of the computer. Children learn Bible stories, such as the story of the Nativity, and celebrate festivals such as Harvest and Diwali.

p.26

COMMENTARY

57. Children in Reception go to ‘Forest School’ weekly where they investigate the wooded surroundings, and notice changes from week to week. They look for minibeasts, and learn about the different flora and fauna of a wood. The school ensures that all children are appropriately clad so that they can enjoy this experience in all weathers. Orchard Fields Community School - 25 These outings add to the pupils’ personal development. They have to consider the needs of all, to appreciate the health and safety issues of travelling in the minibus, and to learn not to touch things such as toadstools. Good use is made of visitors, such as a Fire Officer, to enhance learning. Religious education at an appropriate level is planned, when children learn about Christian festivals. Children have regular access to computers, and are making sound progress in developing their early skills. Many opportunities are given for children to use recycled goods to make models. Although

p.26

COMMENTARY

children achieve well, their very low starting points on entry to the Nursery mean that most are not on course to reach the expected standards by the end of the Reception year.

p.27

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A wide range of learning opportunities is provided to promote children’s physical development.

p.27

Commentary

58. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, and a wide range of appropriate activities is provided to promote children’s physical development. Children in the Nursery enjoy plenty of opportunities to use wheeled toys, to run, jump and climb, and their fine motor skills are developed during activities that involve sticking, painting and learning to use scissors.

p.27

Commentary

59. The Reception children have physical education lessons in the hall to develop their sense of space. None of these lessons was observed but children were seen in the playground where they demonstrated satisfactory co-ordination as they controlled bikes, hoops and balls. There are many opportunities for children to manipulate a range of tools, including brushes, pencils and glue sticks, which they do with reasonable dexterity. The teacher ensures that children are shown how to join construction blocks together effectively so they can make models. Children’s achievement is satisfactory in the Nursery and Reception classes. As a result, the majority of children are broadly on course to meet the expected standards in their physical development by the end of the Reception year.

p.27

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s creative development is satisfactory .

p.27

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children are given a range of different media to explore to develop their creative skills. • Children need a strong stimulus to promote their role-play, and sometimes need more guidance from adults to develop their art skills.

p.27

Commentary

Orchard Fields Community School - 26 60. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, and pupils’ achievement is also satisfactory in relation to their creative development. Children enjoy painting and are given opportunities to use paint freely. They mix their own colours as they paint their models, and use a range of appropriate materials to make a winter collage. However, these activities often do not have any teacher input, so skills are not developed in a systematic way. Teachers use displays to brighten up the classrooms, and children’s work is mounted with care. Children learn a range of songs, which they thoroughly enjoy singing. In one lesson, Nursery children sang some number rhymes, but there were missed opportunities for them to use instruments. Many children find it difficult to make a creative response through role-play, and they have limited opportunities to develop this important aspect of their development. Both the Nursery and the

p.28

Commentary

Reception classes have role-play areas but they provide limited stimulus to fire children’s imagination. Most children are not on course to meet the expected standards by the end of the Reception year.

p.28

ENGLISH

The quality of provision in English is satisfactory , overall. It is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but good in Years 3 to 6.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are making good progress in Years 3 to 6, as a result of good teaching. • Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. • The more able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged by the work they are given in Years 1 and 2.

p.28

Commentary

61. Pupils’ speech, language and literacy skills are very weak when they enter Year 1. Most pupils are making satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 as they develop basic literacy skills and begin to acquire the confidence to speak up within their class groups. However, the most capable pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not always challenged to work at an appropriate level, and could do better. In Years 3 to 6, where consistently good teaching helps pupils to apply their hard won skills, pupils of all abilities are making good progress in most aspects of their work in English. Most classes have very few very capable pupils, and there are substantial numbers of lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs in every year group. For example, about three-quarters of the pupils in Year 6 and more than half of the pupils in Year 2 have special educational needs. These factors define the context for

p.28

Commentary

the judgements about pupils’ standards and achievement.

p.28

Commentary

62. Standards in Year 2 are currently well below those national expectations but reflect pupils’ satisfactory achievement, given their starting points on entry to the school. Standards in Year 6 are also well below national expectations. Rather than reflecting Orchard Fields Community School - 27 the good progress currently made by pupils in Year 6, standards in this year group represent only satisfactory achievement over time. The pupils concerned spent Year 3 in a school which was failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education, and records show that their progress in Years 4 and 5 at Orchard Fields was satisfactory, rather than better.

p.28

Commentary

63. The results of the national tests for Year 2 pupils in 2004 in reading and writing were well below the national average but were broadly in line with the average results of similar schools. In the national tests in English for pupils aged eleven in 2004, the school met its statutory target in regard to the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level for their age, although the results were well below the national average. The results were below the results of schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2. However, the notable disruption in these pupils’ education before they joined the school in Year 5 is likely to have restricted their progress. There was no significant difference between the standards reached by boys and girls in English in the tests in Year 6 in 2004.

p.29

Commentary

64. While the few higher-attaining pupils speak clearly and confidently for their respective ages and are able to use Standard English when it is appropriate to do so, many pupils struggle to express themselves clearly when asked to talk about their work. All staff work hard at including the less confident pupils in discussions, giving them the time they need to pluck up confidence, organise their thoughts and respond. In Years 3 to 6, teachers are particularly skilled at posing well-judged questions, and this helps pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills. In almost all lessons seen, pupils are polite and attentive listeners who do their very best to learn from their teachers and from teaching assistants. However, when required to apply what they have heard, for example when working independently on a task, it is often clear that some pupils have not really understood what is involved and they consequently receive

p.29

Commentary

65. Most pupils in Year 2 read simple texts accurately, though not yet fluently or expressively. A few higher-attaining pupils read fiction written for pupils of their age, for example stories by Roald Dahl, fluently and expressively, showing good recall of the plot and understanding of the author’s sense of humour. Many pupils with special educational needs remain in the very early stages of reading but can match some sounds to the letters that represent them. In Year 6, the most capable pupils read different kinds of fiction and non-fiction fluently and confidently. They can extract relevant information from non-fiction texts, for example in history, and they understand how authors write convincing stories with interesting plots and characters and believable endings. Lower-attaining readers in Year 6 often struggle to understand what is implied rather than stated when they read, and need help to extract relevant information from texts.

p.29

Commentary

66. As in the trend nationally, it is in writing that most pupils of all ages encounter the most severe challenges. Though willing and interested in their learning, many pupils struggle to combine the very many skills needed to produce well crafted and technically accurate writing. From Years 1 to 6, the pupils are taught, systematically and progressively, the skills and knowledge they need to become competent writers. By Year 6, the most capable writers can adapt their writing to match its intended Orchard Fields Community School - 28 purpose and audience, write neatly and legibly using cursive handwriting, and spell most words accurately. However, there are many pupils, including in Year 6, who find writing a laborious process and who often write little in the time available. Many pupils are not sufficiently aware of the differences between their own spoken language and the grammar of Standard English, with the result that grammatical

p.29

Commentary

errors are common. Poor sentence structure is a very frequent weakness and, even in Year 6, few pupils use coherent, complex sentences in their writing.

p.30

Commentary

67. The teaching of English is mainly satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. It is good in Years 3 to 5, and Year 6 pupils benefit from very good teaching. All teachers know their pupils well. They prepare lessons thoroughly, make sure the pupils know what they are intended to learn, and use sessions at the end of lessons to good effect to check and consolidate what has been learned. In Years 1 and 2, teachers give pupils a thorough grounding in initial literacy skills. However, they do not always challenge the most able pupils, and they do not give pupils enough opportunities to write in an exploratory and expressive way. ICT is underused, across the school, to develop language skills and for the drafting, redrafting, editing and publication of pupils’ writing. In Year 6, where the teaching is particularly effective, the teachers place greater emphasis on raising pupils’ awareness of their own learning, for example

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Commentary

through group and individual targets, through peer and self-evaluation and through informative feedback.

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Commentary

68. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but good in Years 3 to 6. Most work is accurately matched to their needs, and well- informed teaching assistants often work alongside them to make sure they understand what they have to do and to help them contribute to discussions. Many pupils with special educational needs also benefit from language intervention programmes where they are taught well either as individuals or in small groups. Pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition are soundly supported and are making satisfactory progress.

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Commentary

69. The English co-ordinator leads and manages the subject well. She has gained a perceptive overview of provision and is aware of strengths and weaknesses in the teaching and in pupils’ learning. With the headteacher and with the assistance of the literacy consultant from the local education authority, she has monitored teaching and learning, supporting and advising teachers when necessary. Now that good teaching is securely established in Years 3 to 6, pupils’ achievements are improving. Assessment procedures are good overall, although the quality of teachers’ marking ranges from satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 to mainly good in Years 3 and 6. In the main, the results of various assessment procedures are used well to identify those pupils and groups of pupils needing help, and various intervention programmes have been introduced with a view to driving up standards. However, the needs of the most capable pupils are not always identified and addressed in Years 1 and 2.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

70. The teachers all place appropriate emphasis on the development of pupils’ skills in speaking and listening throughout the curriculum, and this is a strong feature of the work seen in all subjects. Specialist vocabulary, for example in science, is also Orchard Fields Community School - 29 fostered well. Overall, the promotion of pupils’ writing skills in different subjects is adequate, and there are some good examples where pupils have developed their skills in writing for different purposes, most notably in history. However, sometimes pupils are not given sufficient time to record what they have learned and to develop and practise their writing skills in work across the curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is satisfactory overall . It is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The teaching is good in Years 3 to 6 and is enabling pupils to progress well. • There are good systems for checking pupils' progress. • The leadership and management of the subject are good. • The most capable pupils mark time in some lessons in Years 1 and 2.

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COMMENTARY

71. Pupils’ standards are well below national expectations in Years 2 and 6 but represent satisfactory achievement, given pupils’ starting points on entry to the school.

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COMMENTARY

72. The majority of pupils enter Year 1 with very weak mathematical skills. Although they are making satisfactory progress in the subject in Years 1 and 2, standards are low in Year 2 due to the high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the classes. The statutory assessments in 2004 show that standards were well below national expectations but were in line with the average results of similar schools. Few pupils exceeded the national standard.

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COMMENTARY

73. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are currently making good progress in mathematics, as a result of effective teaching. The Year 6 pupils spent Year 3 in a school which was judged to be failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education. In addition, they made satisfactory, rather than better, progress in mathematics when in Years 4 and 5 at Orchard Fields. The standards currently demonstrated by Year 6 pupils therefore represent only satisfactory achievement, despite the good progress that these pupils are now making. Standards are adversely affected by the fact that about three- quarters of the pupils in Year 6 have special educational needs. Current standards in Year 6 are higher than the test results in 2004, which were in the lowest five per cent nationally. The test results were well below the average results of schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2. This was not surprising, given that these

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COMMENTARY

Year 6 pupils spent Years 3 and 4 in a school which was failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education. There were no significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls in mathematics in the Year 6 national tests.

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COMMENTARY

74. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language are making satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, and good progress in Years 3 to 6. The most capable pupils are making good progress in Years 3 to 6 but are underachieving in some lessons in Years 1 and 2. Orchard Fields Community School - 30 75. A strong emphasis is appropriately given to improving pupils' numeracy skills across the school. As a consequence, although most pupils in Year 2 are working well below the expected range for their age, they are steadily acquiring a more secure knowledge and understanding of number and are beginning to recognise patterns. They can identify common 2D and 3D shapes but find it difficult to describe their properties. As they move up the school, pupils improve their understanding of place value and number operations. Their recall skills improve steadily as does their ability to solve

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COMMENTARY

mathematical problems, as a result of regular practice. By Year 6, the calculation skills of most pupils are close to national expectations and the majority deal competently with fractions, decimals, and shape and measures. However, a very significant minority of pupils do not reach the nationally expected standard due to their learning difficulties.

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COMMENTARY

76. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but has areas for improvement. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching is good, overall, and pupils in Year 6 benefit from particularly effective teaching. As a result, standards are beginning to rise in Years 3 to 6. A thorough analysis of test results has led the school to focus teaching on improving pupils' weak calculation skills and this is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. Teachers appropriately use the National Numeracy Strategy as the basis for planning and provide opportunities for pupils to explore a variety of strategies for calculation and to acquire a more confident recall of number facts. The recommended three-part lesson is well established and all lessons are well planned, with clearly defined learning objectives which are shared with pupils. In the most effective teaching, good links are made with pupils' earlier learning so they are

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COMMENTARY

increasing their mathematical skills systematically. Pupils' learning is at its best when teachers encourage them to explore their mathematical ideas through talk and give opportunities for investigational activities. A weekly mathematics session, taught by the Year 6 teachers before the normal beginning of the school day, is well attended and is helping pupils to make good progress. Teaching assistants are generally well deployed and make a good contribution to pupils' learning.

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COMMENTARY

77. Some teachers are making good use of classroom interactive whiteboards for demonstrations or modelling, such as in a Year 4 lesson on data handling, but this good practice is not yet established throughout the school. Although no unsatisfactory lessons were observed, some lessons in Years 1 and 2 showed areas for improvement. For example, teachers do not always expect enough of the most capable mathematicians and, in some lessons, pupils lose concentration because they are not actively involved throughout the session and spend too long listening to adults. The use of ICT to support and enhance pupils' work in mathematics is too spasmodic and is unsatisfactory overall. Assessment procedures for mathematics are good and effectively inform future planning. As a consequence, most of the tasks set are well matched to pupils' varying needs and attainment. However, the needs of the most capable pupils are not always sufficiently taken into account in Years 1 and 2.

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COMMENTARY

Pupils know their individual targets in mathematics, and are encouraged to evaluate their own work and progress at the end of lessons.

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COMMENTARY

78. The two co-ordinators form an efficient and hard-working team, and the leadership and management of the subject are good. Their thorough analysis of test results and information gathered through sampling pupils' work and observing lessons provides a Orchard Fields Community School - 31 clear picture of standards and provision throughout the school. Effective arrangements for checking and tracking pupils' progress across Years 1 to 6 contribute well to this process.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

79. Satisfactory use is made of mathematics to support pupils' learning across the curriculum. For example, during the inspection, Year 6 pupils used their knowledge and understanding of graphs to plot the lengths of shadows as part of their work in science.

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SCIENCE

The quality of provision is satisfactory overall. It is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but good in Years 3 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are making good progress in Years 3 to 6, as a result of good teaching. • The subject is well led and managed. • The most capable pupils mark time in some lessons.

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COMMENTARY

80. Pupils’ standards are well below national expectations in Years 2 and 6 but represent satisfactory achievement, given pupils’ starting points on entry to the school.

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COMMENTARY

81. On entry to Year 1, pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding are particularly weak. Although they make satisfactory progress in the subject in Years 1 and 2, standards are low in Year 2 due to the high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the classes. In the last academic year, there were fewer pupils in Year 2 with significant learning difficulties. This was reflected in the statutory teacher assessments in 2004 which were above the national average, and well above the average results of similar schools, in relation to the percentage reaching the expected standard. However, no pupil exceeded this standard.

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COMMENTARY

82. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are currently making good progress in science, as a result of effective teaching. However, school records show that these pupils have made satisfactory, rather than good, progress when in Years 4 and 5. In addition, they spent Year 3 in a school which was judged to be failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education. These factors mean that the standards currently demonstrated by Year 6 pupils represent only satisfactory achievement, despite the good progress these pupils are now making. Standards are severely constrained by the fact that over three-quarters of the pupils in Year 6 have special educational needs. Current standards in Year 6 broadly reflect the results of the national tests in the last academic year, which were well below the national average and below the average results of schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2.

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COMMENTARY

83. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language are making satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, and good progress in Orchard Fields Community School - 32 Years 3 to 6. The most capable pupils are underachieving in Years 1 and 2 but are making sound progress in Years 3 to 6. There are no significant differences between the achievement of boys and girls in science.

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COMMENTARY

84. In Year 2, sound teaching enables pupils to identify a range of common appliances which use electricity. Although some need considerable help from their teachers and teaching assistants, most can create simple electrical circuits. However, a significant minority find it very difficult to explain why some circuits fail to function, and are not able to draw their circuits with reasonable accuracy. In Year 6, most pupils demonstrate standards which are satisfactory for their ages when explaining that very small organisms can cause illness or decay, and that these micro-organisms feed and grow like other organisms. They also have a sound awareness of the need for dental hygiene and know that they have molars for chewing and canines for tearing their food. However, a significant minority find it difficult to predict the outcomes of experiments with sufficient clarity or to draw pertinent conclusions from the results of

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COMMENTARY

85. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and is good in Years 3 to 6. All teachers plan their lessons carefully and individual lessons form part of a coherent series to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills. They are clear about what they expect pupils to learn and ensure that pupils are also aware of these expectations. Teachers ensure that scientific vocabulary is introduced and is reinforced strongly during lessons, recognising that many pupils need practice to use new terms confidently and accurately. Teachers have secure subject knowledge, and the teachers in Year 6 are particularly well informed. In the most effective lessons, which are taught in Years 3 to 6, good use is made of questions to probe pupils’ understanding and to move their learning forward. As a consequence, many pupils are working at the edge of their current capabilities during these lessons, and are

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COMMENTARY

making good progress. Because good teaching is securely established in Years 3 to 6, standards are set to improve. Assessment procedures are good. They are used well in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 where the most capable pupils are not always given work which is sufficiently challenging. In Years 1 and 2, teachers’ questions are not always effectively focused to enable teachers to judge whether pupils have fully grasped new ideas, and there is sometimes too much teacher talk and too little pupil activity. Pupils’ language, literacy and mathematical skills are soundly promoted in science. However, insufficient use is made of ICT to support pupils’ scientific learning.

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COMMENTARY

86. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator checks teachers’ planning, has a good awareness of pupils’ standards and progress through testing and teacher assessment records, and has examined examples of pupils’ work from across the school. In addition, she regularly observes science teaching, and provides her colleagues with well-focused feedback which has a beneficial effect on their professional development. As a consequence, she has a clear overview of provision and is able to target areas for improvement with good precision, for example through teaching demonstration lessons or helping teachers with their planning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Orchard Fields Community School - 33 The quality of provision is unsatisfactory , overall. It is unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but broadly satisfactory in Years 3 to 6.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Pupils underachieve in Years 1 and 2, where their access to computers is too limited. • Insufficient use is made of ICT in Years 1 to 6 to support and enhance pupils' work in other subjects.

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Commentary

87. Most pupils enter Year 1 with poor ICT skills, and their progress in Years 1 and 2 is further hampered by their weak literacy and numeracy skills. Standards are well below national expectations in Year 2. Pupils are underachieving in Years 1 and 2 because they have insufficient opportunities to develop and practise their ICT skills. In Years 3 to 6, pupils' overall achievement is satisfactory. However, school records show that there are important gaps in the knowledge and understanding of older pupils, caused by disruptions to their learning in the past. In addition, standards in Year 6 are constrained by the very high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the classes. As a result, standards are below national expectations in Year 6. Throughout the school, insufficient use is made of ICT to support pupils' work in other subjects.

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Commentary

88. The school has two ICT suites, one for Years 1 and 2 and the other for older pupils. Although these are timetabled with the aim of enabling pupils to learn and practise their skills in a systematic way, there are significant problems with the accommodation, especially for pupils in Years 1 and 2. The small suite facilitates group teaching but is not conducive to whole-class teaching of ICT skills and is not easily accessed during other lessons. This considerably reduces the amount of time that individual pupils have for 'hands-on' learning. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 share their computer suite with the adjacent family centre and, consequently, for a significant proportion of each week it is not available to them. In addition, there is no interactive whiteboard or digital projector in the suite, which has a negative effect on teaching and learning. A bank of six laptop computers has recently been purchased to alleviate

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Commentary

89. The quality of teaching is mainly satisfactory but some good teaching was observed in Years 3 and 6. The school is aware of the need to improve the confidence of some teachers and has planned appropriate training, for example in the use of interactive whiteboards which are in all classes but are often underused. In addition, all teachers have been provided with laptop computers in order to develop their skills further. In the most effective lessons, teachers are very confident in the subject, provide clear demonstrations and manage pupils well. However, evidence from other lessons, and from a scrutiny of pupils' work, shows that teachers' expectations are not always sufficiently high and suggests that the pace of pupils’ learning is sometimes too slow.

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Commentary

90. In the lessons observed, most pupils responded well, shared computers sensibly and helped one another. Year 6 pupils achieved well as they used ICT to create graphs based on the results of a science investigation into light and shadow. Good teaching Orchard Fields Community School - 34 in Year 3 enabled pupils to extend their word-processing skills as they changed dialogue into a playscript, and Year 4 pupils made broadly satisfactory progress typing their accounts of life as an evacuee during World War 2. In Year 2, pupils extended their knowledge of how to use ICT to access information when exploring CD-ROMs, while those in Year 1 satisfactorily consolidated their understanding of various 'tools' as they created simple gift tags.

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Commentary

91. The leadership and management of the subject are broadly satisfactory but there are weaknesses. The co-ordinator has interviewed some pupils about their ICT experiences, assembled helpful portfolios of pupils' work and offers support and advice to colleagues. However, she has not observed any teaching of ICT and is therefore not in a strong position to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

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Commentary

92. Planning for ICT is based on helpful guidance from the local authority and is satisfactory. Assessment procedures are sound and pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work. Group targets have recently been introduced in order to raise the profile of ICT as well as pupils' awareness of the progress they are making.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

93. Overall, pupils make insufficient use of ICT to support their learning in other subjects in Years 1 to 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision. No lessons were observed and the subject was sampled. Discussions took place with pupils and staff, pupils' current and past work was examined where available, and school plans were scrutinised.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. The limited evidence shows that the subject meets statutory requirements and is enriched by fieldwork activities. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 explore the school site and surrounding area while those in Year 6 undertake a study of Banbury. Appropriate attention is also given to the study of contrasting localities, including a focus on a village in India and a Mexican settlement. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The subject is well managed by the headteacher who is knowledgeable and provides useful advice and support for colleagues.

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Insufficient evidence was available to make a judgement about provision in

Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, provision is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching of history is good in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils are interested in history and derive particular benefit from visits, role-play and other practical experiences. Orchard Fields Community School - 35 • Many pupils experience difficulties recording and communicating what they have learned.

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Commentary

96. There is insufficient evidence to reach a judgement about pupils’ standards in Year 2 since no lessons were seen and very little work was recorded in pupils’ books. In Year 6, standards are below national expectations. However, given their generally very low starting points on entry to the school, pupils achieve well in history in Years 3 to 6. Effective teaching in Years 3 to 6 enables pupils to make good progress in relation to their capabilities, in their knowledge of history, their understanding of chronology and their mastery of the specialist terms used to define and describe historical events, periods and artefacts. However, there are significant numbers of lower-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs in every year group, and particularly high proportions of such pupils in Year 6. This inevitably has a negative effect on the standards reached by pupils in Year 6. All the pupils clearly enjoy history and are

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Commentary

curious to learn. However, even by Year 6, many pupils still experience difficulties when asked to explain what they have learned, either verbally or in writing and, although able to read, pupils often find it difficult to locate specific information in written accounts and other secondary sources.

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Commentary

97. There is insufficient evidence to reach a judgement about the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2. However, the teaching is good in Years 3 to 6. In the lessons seen, the teachers used good strategies to make historical knowledge, concepts and skills accessible to all the pupils and to promote historical enquiry. The lessons were both enjoyable and interesting, and teachers engaged the pupils’ interest. For example, pupils in Year 4 were invited to become evacuees through role-play, to board a train and to feel and express their emotions on leaving their parents and settling into new families. In Year 5, pupils heard music and lyrics composed by John Lennon alongside a very well informed commentary on his life and times. This enabled them to understand not only his impact on popular culture during the 1960s and 70s, but also something of the political background that motivated him. Lessons are thoroughly

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Commentary

planned, and resources are chosen carefully with a view to developing specific skills. Teachers know their pupils well and, through questioning and support for groups and individuals, do their best to ensure that all are included at every stage of a lesson. Assessment procedures are sound.

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Commentary

98. History is led and managed effectively by the headteacher who is the subject co- ordinator. She has monitored teaching and learning by observing lessons and by scrutinising both teachers’ planning and pupils’ written work. As a result, she has a good overview of provision and is aware of strengths and weaknesses. With the staff, she has worked hard to ensure that history is brought to life for the pupils, for example through visits to places of historical interest such as Sulgrave Manor and Warwick Castle.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision for religious education is good .

p.37

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Orchard Fields Community School - 36 • Pupils achieve well from a very low base as a result of mainly good teaching. • The subject is well led and managed. • One unsatisfactory lesson was observed when pupils made little progress in their learning.

p.38

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

99. Pupils’ standards are below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in Years 2 and 6. However, pupils achieve well in relation to their very low starting points on entry to the school, as a result of good teaching. Many pupils have limited language skills and find it difficult to describe their feelings during discussions and to write at length. Much of the work done in class is oral discussion, so there was limited work available to scrutinise. However, it is clear that pupils learn basic facts about the major world faiths, and consider the similarities and differences between the religions. By Year 2, pupils are familiar with Christian festivals such as Harvest, Advent and Christmas, and learn about other festivals such as Eid and Diwali. They are beginning to appreciate the symbolism of light, and the use of candles to show that Jesus is the ‘light of the world’.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

100. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are given opportunities to discuss abstract ideas such as the important milestones in life’s journey and the concept of peace being central to religious doctrine, as well as acquiring further facts about Christianity and other world religions. Pupils can name peaceful situations but the limited vocabulary of a significant minority means they sometimes find it hard to describe the characteristics of what makes a place a peaceful one. Pupils learn to value the beliefs of others and know about Hindu gods, and Diwali is celebrated. However, some find it difficult to explain why religion is important to people.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

101. The quality of teaching ranges from unsatisfactory to very good, and is good overall. In most lessons, teachers use every opportunity to enhance pupils’ language skills so that they can enter into discussions and organise their thoughts. The pace in these lessons is brisk, and pupils concentrate well in these lessons and show a real interest in the topic. However, in an unsatisfactory lesson, in Year 2, the task was mundane and poor use was made of time. Very good teaching in Year 6 is characterised by the skilful use of questions to help pupils to reflect and to develop their spiritual awareness. Good use is made of support staff to ensure that pupils with special educational needs understand and can contribute to lessons.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

102. The subject is well led and the co-ordinator has a good overview of the subject. She examines teachers’ planning thoroughly to ensure that the requirements of the syllabus are met and carefully evaluates examples of pupils’ work. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. Effective use is made of visits and visitors to school which enhance pupils’ experience.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Orchard Fields Community School - 37 103. It is not possible to judge the overall quality of provision in art and design, design and technology, physical education and music, because no lessons were seen in these subjects. However, pupils’ completed work was very carefully examined in art and design and design and technology, and pupils’ singing was heard in assemblies. In addition, discussions were held with subject co-ordinators and a range of school documentation was scrutinised. The curriculum revealed weaknesses in art and design and design and technology , as well as pupils’ good singing skills.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

104. In art and design , pupils underachieve across the school, and their standards are below national expectations in Years 2 and 6. In Year 1, pupils make unsatisfactory progress when drawing around mathematical shapes to create images, whilst Year 2 pupils derive little benefit from colouring in drawings made from random intersecting lines. In Year 3, pupils’ drawings, made as a response to a still-life picture by Henri Matisse, demonstrate their limited skills, whilst Year 4 pupils underachieve when making very simplistic interpretations of ‘The Goldfish’ by Paul Klee. In Year 5, pupils’ abstract paintings, inspired by listening to ‘The Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles, demonstrate standards which are usually achieved by much younger pupils. In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ interpretations of ‘The Sunken Garden’ by Paul Klee depend too much on photocopied images and represent limited creative achievement.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

105. While it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching in art and design, pupils’ completed work clearly shows that the teaching is not enabling pupils to do as well as they should in the subject. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ potential achievement are often too low, and evidence suggests that teachers would benefit from in-service training to increase their knowledge and skills in the subject. The curriculum meets statutory requirements but does not ensure that pupils’ key skills and knowledge are progressively developed across the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

106. The leadership and management of art and design are unsatisfactory. The co- ordinator checks that teachers’ planning reflects the school’s scheme of work and prepares resources carefully for her colleagues. In addition, she has recently organised a visit to an art exhibition in the local museum which has clearly been enjoyed by pupils in Years 1 to 6. However, the co-ordinator does not monitor pupils’ standards with enough rigour, and does not have a sufficiently focused plan to improve their achievements.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

107. In design and technology , pupils’ achievement is also unsatisfactory, and standards are below national expectations in Years 2 and 6. In Year 1, pupils have developed their understanding of the need for hygiene when preparing fruit salads but waste time when colouring in photocopied pictures of fruit. In Year 2, pupils underachieve when planning how they might make simple models which incorporate a simple winding mechanism. Since their ideas are not thought through adequately, pupils are ill prepared for the process of making their models. In Year 3, pupils’ picture frames show that they have a limited understanding of ways in which structures can be made stable, and the moving pictures made by Year 4 pupils incorporate simple slide mechanisms which are usually mastered by much younger pupils. In Year 5, pupils have made sound progress when describing and evaluating different kinds of bread, and have demonstrated satisfactory standards when creating recipes for their own

p.39

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

breads for special occasions. However, Year 6 pupils underachieve when creating Orchard Fields Community School - 38 designs for adventure playground equipment which do not adequately show how materials will be joined. Their designs present very limited construction challenges for the pupils, and the examples of finished models which were available for examination demonstrate making skills which are below national expectations.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

108. It is not possible to judge the quality of teaching. However, it is clear that the teaching is not enabling pupils to make satisfactory progress. In common with the situation in art and design, teachers’ expectations are generally too low and most require in-service training to increase their knowledge and skills in the subject. Statutory requirements are met, although pupils’ key skills are not developed effectively.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

109. The leadership and management of design and technology are unsatisfactory. Procedures for monitoring and evaluation are not established, and the co-ordinator has only very recently taken on her role. As a consequence, the school is in a weak position to target areas for improvement with sufficient accuracy.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

110. In physical education , teachers’ planning shows that statutory requirements are met. Pupils benefit from a good range of after-school sporting opportunities.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

111. In music , the performance of the choir is very good, and pupils’ overall singing skills are above national expectations. Pupils sing with a secure control of pitch, use dynamics effectively and sing with particularly clear diction. The choir represents the school very well in local and national music concerts. Whilst it is clear that pupils achieve well in singing, insufficient evidence was collected during the inspection for judgements to be made about other key elements of pupils’ work in music. The music co-ordinator is very enthusiastic about the subject, runs the choir and teaches music lessons in Years 2, 4 and 6. She organises regular visits by musicians to the school, as well as opportunities for pupils to attend concerts. Statutory requirements are fully met in music.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE) AND CITIZENSHIP

Only two formal PSHE sessions were seen, so it is not possible to judge the overall quality of teaching. However, evidence from teachers’ planning, from discussions with pupils and staff, and from pupils’ attitudes and behaviour shows that provision is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The impact of good provision is reflected in pupils’ positive attitudes, values and behaviour. • The school council fulfils its role well. • PSHE provision is well led and managed.

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Commentary

112. Pupils’ positive attitudes, good behaviour and relationships with others testify to their good achievement in response to the school’s provision for their personal, social and health education and citizenship. Orchard Fields Community School - 39 113. The school sees pupils’ personal development as a very important part of its work. Tailor-made to suit the pupils’ needs, the scheme of work for PSHE and Citizenship combines elements from national and local programmes as well as from the Family Nurturing Network. A varied programme of activities for all pupils is complemented by specific provision for individuals and small groups of pupils when relevant. For example, ‘nurture clubs’ run at lunchtime offer some pupils opportunities to explore constructive ways of managing their own feelings and behaviour. Indeed, self- awareness and self-care are strong elements of the school’s provision for all pupils

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Commentary

and are promoted well, for example through work on diet, health, sex education, smoking, drugs awareness and personal safety.

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Commentary

114. In 2002, the school received the Healthy Living award for its work on aspects of health education, work it continues to develop. For example, younger pupils are given fruit snacks each day, and pupils in Year 5 engaged enthusiastically in a Healthy Eating Day. Exercise is promoted, not simply through physical education lessons, but also through a number of sports clubs and special events such as a ‘skipping day’ organised to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. During visits to the Life Education Centre, pupils of all ages are taught how to keep themselves safe and to make healthy, responsible choices in regard to the way they live their lives. In a lesson seen in Year 5, pupils learned to link cleanliness with the control of germs and bacteria. A sex education programme, taught through science, promotes strong family values and responsible, loving relationships.

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Commentary

115. Pupils are encouraged at all times to respect themselves and take pride in their achievements, for example through the receipt of certificates for effort, behaviour and achievements during special assemblies, the placing of a child’s name on the school’s ‘Stars Board’, and the nominations each week of a ‘special person’ to take the lead in each class. At the same time, pupils are encouraged to relate well to others, to consider others’ needs, and to recognise sources of help within their local community. A programme of visits and visitors raises their awareness of important local services such as the ‘beat police’, the RSPCA and the fire service. To develop pupils’ awareness of themselves as citizens of the world, the school has links with staff and pupils in schools in Belgium and Portugal.

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Commentary

116. The school council and the class councils together provide a powerful forum for pupils to have a voice and to influence the life and work of the school. For example, in a PSHE lesson seen in Year 2, the class council considered the value of homework as an aid to learning and sent sensible recommendations for change, via the class councillor, to the School Council. The work of the School Council and the nomination and election of its councillors gives pupils valuable insights into democratic processes. Their understanding of rights and responsibilities is further promoted through school and class rules, and through a well-thought-out system of rewards and sanctions.

p.41

Commentary

117. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is co- ordinated effectively by the headteacher. She monitors its impact closely, and is constantly seeking to develop and refine its influence on pupils’ lives and learning. Orchard Fields Community School - 40

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 8 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 6 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 6 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7); does not apply to this school (8).

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